| Affiliations: | Genetics & Genomics Research Leadership |
| Project Leader: | Isabella Childers ichilde@tamu.edu Veterinary Integrative Biosciences |
| Faculty Mentor: | William Murphy, Ph.D. |
|
Meeting Times:
|
TBD |
|
Team Size:
|
4
|
| Open Spots: | 0 |
|
Special Opportunities:
|
Students will have the opportunity to dig into past and current research and develop their bioinformatic and presentation skills. There may be opportunities in the future to present findings at local conferences.
|
|
Team Needs:
|
We are looking for highly motivated and determined students interested in mammalian evolution. Basic knowledge of genetics and meiotic recombination is preferred. |
|
Description:
|
Meiotic recombination is the exchange of DNA between a pair of homologous chromosomes, one set that comes from the mother and the other from the father. The meiotic recombination rate (i.e., the frequency of crossovers) is known to vary across species, populations, sexes, and chromosomes. Previous literature has identified genes in recombination rate extremes, such as immune-related genes in regions of elevated recombination in humans and bats. However, there is a lack of studies that compare gene content that differs in recombination rate between species (e.g., one gene is in a region of low recombination rate in one species while high in another). In this project, team members will investigate genes between placental mammals with opposing recombination rates. Bioinformatic tools and literature searches will be used to elucidate any patterns from these sets of genes that could help provide insight into specific adaptations connected to a mammalian species or lineage. |